Mental load in women and mothers : causes of distress, personality traits, and psychopathology

Abstract

Mental load has received increasing public attention, particularly following societal changes such as the COVID-19 pandemic and shifts toward greater gender equality. However, despite its societal relevance, it remains comparatively under-researched. Following a literature review on mental load, two cross-sectional online survey studies systematically examined the burden of invisible (mental load) versus visible household and caregiving work, the causes of this burden, and associations with personality traits and psychological symptoms (affect, anxiety, depressiveness). Participants were recruited online via university mailing lists, social media, and parent forums. In Study 1 (N = 368 women; M = 35.98 years, SD = 8.87), it was found that mothers (vs. women without children) perceived invisible tasks such as planning or organizing significantly more stressful and unequally distributed compared to visible tasks. Mental load was significantly negatively related to positive affect and significantly positively related to negative affect, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. In both studies, constantly thinking about tasks and the perception that tasks never appear to be completed were cited as the most common causes of mental load. The results of Study 2 (N = 1891 mothers; M = 38.18 years, SD = 5.18) showed that mental load is positively related to neuroticism and conscientiousness, with the association of mental load and neuroticism moderated by being a single mother. Practical implications at the individual, couple, and societal levels are derived from these findings.